Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-31
THE Fl. HING INDUSTRY.
The Increasing Demand Makes
New GrOun 1s Necessary.

New GrOun DIS Necessary.
Few people have an idea of the extent
OF the fishing industry of the world, and
especially of the Pacific Coast. It is a
well known fact that the old fishing beds
in the Atlantic do not keep pace with
the constant and increasing draw upon
them, and time has come when new
waters must be searched to supply the
demand. The fishing grounds in the
Pacific have not as yet been called upon
to furnish it's proportion of the fish pro.
duct of the world, and as it is a large
field to work upon, it is no wonder that
the attention of those interested should
be turned in that direction. A large
fleet of vessels leaves California each
year, but there is room for many more,
and there is no reason why the industry
should not become one of the most i'm
portant of the coast. It only requires
enterprise and push The field is large
and only waiting for opening on large
scale. The fishery industry helped
greatly to build up Massachusetts,
and other Eastern Coast States
and why not California with its large
coast line? 1t seems strange to wander
into the markets in Los Angeles and to
see Eastern fish ON sale and bringing
higher prices than Pacific coast fish. OF
course the salmon branch cannot have
any competition on the Atlantic side,
but it has been demonstrated that the
Pacific abounds in Goldfish equal in quail
ity if not superior to those captured off
the coast of Newfoundland. The fishing
industry, according to the annual report
of the American Fish Bureau at Glouces-
ter, for last year, gives employment to
about 10000 men and about l50, 900
vessels. The total amount of the annual
product is about 100000 tons, or
8, 1000. 900. 600 pounds of fish. equal to
$50, 900 carloads. which would load
train $40 miles long. The United States
has l0l, ,6S4 fishermen and 6605 vessels of
over five tons burthen. The largest
fishing port in the world is Grinsby,
England, with 76S vessels. France EN-.
ploys l26. 900 persons in sea and coast
fisheries, and the value of the an.
nual proceeds is $l6.660,O00. Nor.
way produces for export SILL
900, 900, and for home con.
sumption about $4,000 900. Italy
produces SO. $40, 900, Russia SIG, 600, 900
and Germany receives Sis. 1926, 600 an.
nually in fish, two.thirds of which are
herring. In the United States the
mackerel fisheries first made good
showing in 1919 when the pack of Mas
sachusetts amounted to 100, Ill barrels.
In 1881 the largest pack in any one
year occurred, when 3S4, 54S barrels
were prepared for market. So far the
mackeral has not found its way into
Pacific waters in any great extent, but
it is migratory fish, for while in one
series of years it ls found in large guam
titles in one part of the North Atlantic
and its bays, from some unknown cause
another year or series of years it will be
found hundreds of miles away, conse-
quently there is hope of placing it in
the Pacific if search is made.
The largest and most valuable are the
Western Atlantic fishing grounds. These
banks extend from Cape Cod to the east.
erns coast of Newfoundland asd-eensti.
tute chain of submerged plateaus.
These supply the United States and
other nations more or less with salt
fish. As yet the fisheries of the Pacific
ocean do not produce enough to make
any impression on the market, but the
time is coming when the principal sup
ply will be drawn from its waters. The
area of the Atlantic bank is 70, l23
square miles.
Last season was remarkable for the
scarcity Of nearly all kinds of salt and
fresh water fish in both Atlantic, inland
aud Pacific sections of the country.
The markets have shown q scarcity of
mackerel, bluefish, herring, alwives. sal
mon and pollock. Quotations for all of
these have been higher all over the
world, and in salmon there ht been quite
q corner in San Francisco. The amount
of mackerel taken was the smallest
known since lS43, and with three ex.
ceptions since 1918. Goldfish were fairly
plentiful and halibut showed small in.
crease.
In short time the Pacific fleet will
start out, and part of it has
gone already. The injurious effect of
early fishing has been fully discussed
and is generally admitted. yet the de-
STABILITY of any repressive or restricting
legislation is not by any means unani-
nous among those who ought to know
all about the matter. Prices during the
past twelve months have been more
favorable to those engaged in the busi-
ness than was the case'a year previous,
and those who were in favor of o close
season at that time are not so anxious
now. 1t is hardly possible that any
thing will be doue toward protecting the
sea fish until every possible resource has
been taxed to its uttermost to supply
the growing demand. The Pacific is al
most an unknown ground and has got to
be tried in systematic manner.